A list of what I've learned here from a new OBX owner. Another long one.

[DahliaDarlin']

Before I bought my used, loaded ’22 OBX in Cactus Gray, I haunted, then joined this forum. Although I took an auto shop class in Hight School and know a bit about cars, there was so much information on here that helped me decide to pull the trigger on the most expensive vehicle I’ve ever bought. I thought I’d make a list of what I’ve learned here. In no particular order:

1. If I have wacky electrical problems, it could be because this vehicle has the lesser Lead Acid battery Ford put in some Sports to keep the line moving. If this happens, the battery should be replaced by the dealer. I know to tell them to do a LOAD test, not just a charge test.

“Can you open the hood?”
“Open the hood? What do you want to see in there?” —actual exchange with salesman

1. The Ford mud flaps are still intact, not torn to shreds by enthusiastic off roading or careless driveway maneuvering.

1. The hood shimmies at speed like an old boss of mine in her previous, well paid career. I know that this can be mitigated, with adjustments, or struts to hold open the hood. The details I can look up on the forum. Otherwise, Ford considers this ‘normal.’

1. My ’22 has a heated steering wheel. Not sure all of them do.

1. It drives louder than the Buick Encore (!) I was interested in buying in 2019. It is also more amusing, so I don’t care. At all. Yes. I wrote Buick Encore. Hey, it had FOUR cylinders.

1. I can buy a perfectly sized mattress to fit in the back so I can sleep in there and camp. I will not do this, but I know I can, which is more important.

1. It has a tow hitch, and there is something called “tongue weight” which is important. I can look up the details of towing here.

1. I have a sunroof. This has bearing on how much weight can go on the roof. I’ll look up the rest here when the time comes.

9. I know the apparent damage to the tires in the dealer listing picture was just badly applied tire shine.

—Kudos to the posters here who weighed in and figured it out for me. I wasn’t going to look at this vehicle because the photo of the tires hinted at nefarious off road doings. Turns out they were fine and I bought that BS!

1. I check the PSI of the tires before setting out on the test drive, while they were cold.

1. I may need to hook up the battery to something called a trickle charger. What is that exactly? I can surmise but I’ve never seen one. I can look up the make and model to buy here, no muss no fuss.

1. I should look into getting some ceramic type coating on the paint. There is also a kind of film that will protect the front end paint. Seems like a good thing to do. Never heard of either before.

1. I can buy an organizer tray for the storage area beneath the arm rest to keep things in order rather than the jumbled chaos Ford assumes owners prefer. I’ll just look up the one a poster recommended and buy it from Amazon like they did. Ditto an emergency tire inflator for next to the spare! (Done!)

1. My BS already has a wind deflector on the hood to help with rock chips. One less thing I need to buy.

1. There is a company here that makes after market bash plates. I’ll probably get one under the front bumper and one that covers the catalytic converter. I’ll get if from a company that sponsors this board. Why go elsewhere?

1. I know what a bash plate is. I know this will be good to have if I let my DH drive my Bronco Sport. I don’t want him to, but he’ll bat those baby blues and I’ll fold like a cheap suit.

1. I can customize the Bronco Sport lettering in the back to almost any color I want.

1. I know what the small white funnel is for and where to find the jack.

1. I know Long MacArthur Ford has an extensive YouTube about my exact model and year.

1. I know that when the windshield wipers suddenly sprang into action as I drove during a gentle rain, this was not some crazy ghost in the machine. Automatic wipers are a thing! I have them!

1. There is a protective cover you can buy for the center armrest to keep your dog’s paws from damaging it. It’s on there now. Fits the way a forum member said it would, like a glove. Easily removable for non-canine company.

1. I know that if I have a random question or problem about my Sport, I can post it here and some generous genius will answer it, or guide me into figuring it out. That is worth the price of admission.

1. If I keep my Sport I will probably buy the extended warrantee from Ford. I know where to get it at a very good price. Great advice here about that too.

1. I have Ford 360+. Never would have thought to look for it before.

1. I test drove the BS I bought for 45 minutes, as a forum member suggested. Took it on unpaved areas, over railroad tracks, on the interstate, through town, parked it, backed it up, tested the turning radius, then drove it some more. No weird sounds a low RPMs. Comfortable drivers seat that doesn’t list to the left. Drove the salesman crazy.

1. I knew to double check the glass deductible on my insurance, because the windshield is susceptible to chips due to its position and the nature of the vehicle.

And… a million other things. I thought I would end this list sooner, but I kept thinking up stuff. The body of knowledge, the enthusiasm and the generosity of participants in this forum made me an educated consumer and a confident buyer. I can’t thank the members of this forum enough. You are the bomb.

Thank you!!

Sponsored

 

[Mark S.]

Here's a list of 12V battery chargers for sale at Amazon sorted by average customer review. A "trickle charger" is just a low-amperage charger that will automatically switch from "charge" mode to "maintenance" mode. Maintenance mode monitors your voltage and automatically switches the charger on/off to keep your battery at optimum voltage without overcharging it. Almost all modern battery chargers have a maintenance mode, so you don't need a dedicated "trickle" charger unless that's just what you want. The downside of a trickle charger is one will take quite some time (usually overnight) to recharge a nearly depleted battery enough to support an engine start.

If you don't already have a battery charger my advice is to purchase a good one that can output at least 30 amps. One like this will recharge a depleted battery enough for an engine start in an hour or so. Make sure it also has a maintenance mode and you can also use it as a "trickle charger."

 

[rocks]

I have gone with a Deltran Battery Tender Plus for over 20 years. I use the brand today on my BS because it sits a lot and have used one on a show car '69 Corvette I owned. Great product.

 

[Glamdring70]

This is the exact battery tender I have. Bought it for several reasons.
Name brand. I think brand names have become very diluted, but this is a brand I like.
It's a CHARGER. It's a MAINTAINER. Different functions, but all in 1 box.
It works on all battery types and other than activation, it's fully automatic.
It's over-capacity for the Bronco Sport battery. This means it isn't working too hard and I can also charge bigger batteries that I have or may have in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756PV96N/

 

[RushMan]

Before I bought my used, loaded ’22 OBX in Cactus Gray, I haunted, then joined this forum. Although I took an auto shop class in Hight School and know a bit about cars, there was so much information on here that helped me decide to pull the trigger on the most expensive vehicle I’ve ever bought. I thought I’d make a list of what I’ve learned here. In no particular order:

1. If I have wacky electrical problems, it could be because this vehicle has the lesser Lead Acid battery Ford put in some Sports to keep the line moving. If this happens, the battery should be replaced by the dealer. I know to tell them to do a LOAD test, not just a charge test.

“Can you open the hood?”
“Open the hood? What do you want to see in there?” —actual exchange with salesman

1. The Ford mud flaps are still intact, not torn to shreds by enthusiastic off roading or careless driveway maneuvering.
2. The hood shimmies at speed like an old boss of mine in her previous, well paid career. I know that this can be mitigated, with adjustments, or struts to hold open the hood. The details I can look up on the forum. Otherwise, Ford considers this ‘normal.’
3. My ’22 has a heated steering wheel. Not sure all of them do.
4. It drives louder than the Buick Encore (!) I was interested in buying in 2019. It is also more amusing, so I don’t care. At all. Yes. I wrote Buick Encore. Hey, it had FOUR cylinders.
5. I can buy a perfectly sized mattress to fit in the back so I can sleep in there and camp. I will not do this, but I know I can, which is more important.
6. It has a tow hitch, and there is something called “tongue weight” which is important. I can look up the details of towing here.
7. I have a sunroof. This has bearing on how much weight can go on the roof. I’ll look up the rest here when the time comes.

9. I know the apparent damage to the tires in the dealer listing picture was just badly applied tire shine.

—Kudos to the posters here who weighed in and figured it out for me. I wasn’t going to look at this vehicle because the photo of the tires hinted at nefarious off road doings. Turns out they were fine and I bought that BS!

1. I check the PSI of the tires before setting out on the test drive, while they were cold.
2. I may need to hook up the battery to something called a trickle charger. What is that exactly? I can surmise but I’ve never seen one. I can look up the make and model to buy here, no muss no fuss.
3. I should look into getting some ceramic type coating on the paint. There is also a kind of film that will protect the front end paint. Seems like a good thing to do. Never heard of either before.
4. I can buy an organizer tray for the storage area beneath the arm rest to keep things in order rather than the jumbled chaos Ford assumes owners prefer. I’ll just look up the one a poster recommended and buy it from Amazon like they did. Ditto an emergency tire inflator for next to the spare! (Done!)
5. My BS already has a wind deflector on the hood to help with rock chips. One less thing I need to buy.
6. There is a company here that makes after market bash plates. I’ll probably get one under the front bumper and one that covers the catalytic converter. I’ll get if from a company that sponsors this board. Why go elsewhere?
7. I know what a bash plate is. I know this will be good to have if I let my DH drive my Bronco Sport. I don’t want him to, but he’ll bat those baby blues and I’ll fold like a cheap suit.
8. I can customize the Bronco Sport lettering in the back to almost any color I want.
9. I know what the small white funnel is for and where to find the jack.
10. I know Long MacArthur Ford has an extensive YouTube about my exact model and year.
11. I know that when the windshield wipers suddenly sprang into action as I drove during a gentle rain, this was not some crazy ghost in the machine. Automatic wipers are a thing! I have them!
12. There is a protective cover you can buy for the center armrest to keep your dog’s paws from damaging it. It’s on there now. Fits the way a forum member said it would, like a glove. Easily removable for non-canine company.
13. I know that if I have a random question or problem about my Sport, I can post it here and some generous genius will answer it, or guide me into figuring it out. That is worth the price of admission.
14. If I keep my Sport I will probably buy the extended warrantee from Ford. I know where to get it at a very good price. Great advice here about that too.
15. I have Ford 360+. Never would have thought to look for it before.
16. I test drove the BS I bought for 45 minutes, as a forum member suggested. Took it on unpaved areas, over railroad tracks, on the interstate, through town, parked it, backed it up, tested the turning radius, then drove it some more. No weird sounds a low RPMs. Comfortable drivers seat that doesn’t list to the left. Drove the salesman crazy.
17. I knew to double check the glass deductible on my insurance, because the windshield is susceptible to chips due to its position and the nature of the vehicle.

And… a million other things. I thought I would end this list sooner, but I kept thinking up stuff. The body of knowledge, the enthusiasm and the generosity of participants in this forum made me an educated consumer and a confident buyer. I can’t thank the members of this forum enough. You are the bomb.

Thank you!!

The 2023 Buick Encore has 2 engine options: a 1.2 liter, 3 cylinder turbo, and a 1.3 liter 3 cylinder turbo, engine.

 

[SeaJay]

And… a million other things. I thought I would end this list sooner, but I kept thinking up stuff. The body of knowledge, the enthusiasm and the generosity of participants in this forum made me an educated consumer and a confident buyer. I can’t thank the members of this forum enough. You are the bomb.

Thank you!!
[/QUOTE]
A huge AMEN to this post. Thanks to the regulars, and the gear-heads, and to all the owners who post about their small and large problems so I can be educated and ready for almost anything my OBX and Ford can throw my way.

 

[BodieBronco]

Before I bought my used, loaded ’22 OBX in Cactus Gray, I haunted, then joined this forum. Although I took an auto shop class in Hight School and know a bit about cars, there was so much information on here that helped me decide to pull the trigger on the most expensive vehicle I’ve ever bought. I thought I’d make a list of what I’ve learned here. In no particular order:

1. If I have wacky electrical problems, it could be because this vehicle has the lesser Lead Acid battery Ford put in some Sports to keep the line moving. If this happens, the battery should be replaced by the dealer. I know to tell them to do a LOAD test, not just a charge test.

“Can you open the hood?”
“Open the hood? What do you want to see in there?” —actual exchange with salesman

1. The Ford mud flaps are still intact, not torn to shreds by enthusiastic off roading or careless driveway maneuvering.
2. The hood shimmies at speed like an old boss of mine in her previous, well paid career. I know that this can be mitigated, with adjustments, or struts to hold open the hood. The details I can look up on the forum. Otherwise, Ford considers this ‘normal.’
3. My ’22 has a heated steering wheel. Not sure all of them do.
4. It drives louder than the Buick Encore (!) I was interested in buying in 2019. It is also more amusing, so I don’t care. At all. Yes. I wrote Buick Encore. Hey, it had FOUR cylinders.
5. I can buy a perfectly sized mattress to fit in the back so I can sleep in there and camp. I will not do this, but I know I can, which is more important.
6. It has a tow hitch, and there is something called “tongue weight” which is important. I can look up the details of towing here.
7. I have a sunroof. This has bearing on how much weight can go on the roof. I’ll look up the rest here when the time comes.

9. I know the apparent damage to the tires in the dealer listing picture was just badly applied tire shine.

—Kudos to the posters here who weighed in and figured it out for me. I wasn’t going to look at this vehicle because the photo of the tires hinted at nefarious off road doings. Turns out they were fine and I bought that BS!

1. I check the PSI of the tires before setting out on the test drive, while they were cold.
2. I may need to hook up the battery to something called a trickle charger. What is that exactly? I can surmise but I’ve never seen one. I can look up the make and model to buy here, no muss no fuss.
3. I should look into getting some ceramic type coating on the paint. There is also a kind of film that will protect the front end paint. Seems like a good thing to do. Never heard of either before.
4. I can buy an organizer tray for the storage area beneath the arm rest to keep things in order rather than the jumbled chaos Ford assumes owners prefer. I’ll just look up the one a poster recommended and buy it from Amazon like they did. Ditto an emergency tire inflator for next to the spare! (Done!)
5. My BS already has a wind deflector on the hood to help with rock chips. One less thing I need to buy.
6. There is a company here that makes after market bash plates. I’ll probably get one under the front bumper and one that covers the catalytic converter. I’ll get if from a company that sponsors this board. Why go elsewhere?
7. I know what a bash plate is. I know this will be good to have if I let my DH drive my Bronco Sport. I don’t want him to, but he’ll bat those baby blues and I’ll fold like a cheap suit.
8. I can customize the Bronco Sport lettering in the back to almost any color I want.
9. I know what the small white funnel is for and where to find the jack.
10. I know Long MacArthur Ford has an extensive YouTube about my exact model and year.
11. I know that when the windshield wipers suddenly sprang into action as I drove during a gentle rain, this was not some crazy ghost in the machine. Automatic wipers are a thing! I have them!
12. There is a protective cover you can buy for the center armrest to keep your dog’s paws from damaging it. It’s on there now. Fits the way a forum member said it would, like a glove. Easily removable for non-canine company.
13. I know that if I have a random question or problem about my Sport, I can post it here and some generous genius will answer it, or guide me into figuring it out. That is worth the price of admission.
14. If I keep my Sport I will probably buy the extended warrantee from Ford. I know where to get it at a very good price. Great advice here about that too.
15. I have Ford 360+. Never would have thought to look for it before.
16. I test drove the BS I bought for 45 minutes, as a forum member suggested. Took it on unpaved areas, over railroad tracks, on the interstate, through town, parked it, backed it up, tested the turning radius, then drove it some more. No weird sounds a low RPMs. Comfortable drivers seat that doesn’t list to the left. Drove the salesman crazy.
17. I knew to double check the glass deductible on my insurance, because the windshield is susceptible to chips due to its position and the nature of the vehicle.

And… a million other things. I thought I would end this list sooner, but I kept thinking up stuff. The body of knowledge, the enthusiasm and the generosity of participants in this forum made me an educated consumer and a confident buyer. I can’t thank the members of this forum enough. You are the bomb.

Thank you!!

I'm curious about the center console fit well easily removable for protection from pet. so you have a link or more info? thank you

 

[DahliaDarlin']

Following a link in an earlier thread here, I bought this one, from Amazon. It has the coin holder in the front, should you ever need coins. Fits like a charm. Has an opening that allows you to thread a charger cable from inside the console to a phone in the tray as in the photo. No cord flopping about as in our Subaru Forester.

My BS has Ebony Roast leather. I have a dog who is fond of standing on the front console, so I also bought this. Made of a flexible rubbery type plastic, it covers the top of the console, stays in place yet comes off easily if you want it to. Fits perfectly. Also found this listed in a forum post.

Great additions both!

 

[Wolf256]

Following a link in an earlier thread here, I bought this one, from Amazon. It has the coin holder in the front, should you ever need coins. Fits like a charm. Has an opening that allows you to thread a charger cable from inside the console to a phone in the tray as in the photo. No cord flopping about as in our Subaru Forester.

My BS has Ebony Roast leather. I have a dog who is fond of standing on the front console, so I also bought this. Made of a flexible rubbery type plastic, it covers the top of the console, stays in place yet comes off easily if you want it to. Fits perfectly. Also found this listed in a forum post.

Great additions both!

Oops, those are both links to the tray. Do you happen to have the link to the cover?

 

[Arcee]

The 2023 Buick Encore has 2 engine options: a 1.2 liter, 3 cylinder turbo, and a 1.3 liter 3 cylinder turbo, engine.

The regular Encore which was discontinued in 2022 (and replaced for 2024 by the Envista) had a 1.4L 4-cyl.

The Encore GX has the 3-cyl engine options you reference.

 

[DahliaDarlin']

Center console cover, take 2

 

[DahliaDarlin']

The regular Encore which was discontinued in 2022 (and replaced for 2024 by the Envista) had a 1.4L 4-cyl.

The Encore GX has the 3-cyl engine options you reference.

Yes, the one I almost bought was an original Encore, a 2019 Essence, with the larger 155hp 4 cyl. engine. The GX I sat in to shut the salesman up seemed cheaply put together in comparison. I also thought it might be too big. Hah! Joke is on me.

My little 2005 Honda Civic still runs like it was new, so I was in no hurry to buy anything. My search was based on better visibility, and more safety features.

 

[RushMan]

The regular Encore which was discontinued in 2022 (and replaced for 2024 by the Envista) had a 1.4L 4-cyl.

The Encore GX has the 3-cyl engine options you reference.

Thanks for clarifying. I was referring to the GX .

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